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Ninjas
"If you can see a ninja, chances are you're already dead (and if you can see them while dead, skip ahead to the zombie section). I don't want to give away the secrets or anything, but most of what this faction does is sneaky, happens fast, and at the last second. So look out for that." Name The original Core Set rule book named this faction the "Ninja". However, The Big Geeky Box named this faction the "Ninjas". Both words are considered correct plurals in the English language. Cards The Ninjas have the usual 10 minions and 10 actions. The total minion base power (not counting any abilities) is the usual 30 or an average of 3 per minion. Minions 1x Ninja Master - power 5 - You may destroy a minion on this base. 2x Tiger Assassin - power 4 - You may destroy a minion of power 3 or less on this base. 3x Shinobi - power 3 - Special: Before a base scores, you may play this minion there. You can only use one Shinobi's ability per base. 4x Ninja Acolyte - power 2 - Special: On your turn, if you have not yet played a minion, you may return this minion to your hand and play an extra minion on this base. Actions 1x Assassination - Play on a minion. Ongoing: Destroy this minion at the end of the turn. 1x Disguise - Choose one or two of your minions on one base. Play an equal number of extra minions there, and return the chosen minions to your hand. 1x Hidden Ninja - Special: Before a base scores, play a minion there. 2x Infiltrate - Play on a base. Destroy an action that has been played here. Ongoing: You may ignore this base's ability until the start of your next turn. 1x Poison - Play on a minion. Destroy any number of actions on it. Ongoing: This minion has -4 power. (Minions have minimum power of 0.) 2x Seeing Stars - Destroy a minion of power 3 or less. 1x Smoke Bomb - Play on one of your minions. Ongoing: This minion is not affected by other players' actions. Destroy this card at the start of your turn. 1x Way of Deception - Move one of your minions to another base. Bases While bases do not technically belong to any faction, there are 2 bases themed around the Ninjas: Ninja Dojo - breakpoint 18 - VP's: 2 3 2 - After this base scores, the winner may destroy any one minion. Temple of Goju - breakpoint 18 - VP's: 2 3 2 - After this base scores, place each player's highest power minion here on the bottom of its owner's deck. Strategy Ninjas are theoretically about being sneaky, but they actually have a great deal of options, mostly focused on destruction. Ninja Master can destroy any minion, making it one of the most versatile destruction options in the game. Tiger Assassin and Seeing Stars allow for the destruction of a minion of power 3 or less (more than usual 2 for these types of cards). Assassination is the final destruction option, and while its effect is not immediate, it is as versatile as Ninja Master. Other effects allow for moving (Way of Deception), decreasing power (Poison), protection from actions (Smoke Bomb), destroying actions played on bases and negating base abilities (Infiltrate), or swap minions from the hand with those in play (Disguise). The most unique part of the Ninja deck is stealthily sneaking a minion onto a base before it scores, either with the Shinobi's unique ability or with the Hidden Ninja action. Teams (Opinion based) Ninjas are great teammates for just about any faction. They are versatile, fairly powerful, and capable of a wide variety of different things. This does mean that they aren't usually the greatest partner for most factions, but their ability to sneak onto bases for an effortless second place affords them utility with any other faction. Aliens - Zombies - Dinosaurs- The two factions have a good amount of power and destruction that opponents will likely have a difficult time having any sort of unified front. Hidden Ninja + King Rex can be a surprisingly devestating force however. Pirates - Robots - Tricksters - Wizards - Ghost - Steampunk - Bear Cavalry - Plants - Cthulu Cultists - Elder Things - Innsmouth - Miskatonic University - . Time Travelers - Cyborg Apes - Super Spies - Shape Shifters - Questions about individual cards Q: Do the Shinobi and Hidden Ninja abilities play minions as extra minions or normal minions? Can we use the abilities during our turn even if we already played a minion? A: The text should say "as an extra minion", but that would only clarify, not change the meaning. "Before a base scores" is after the time for playing normal minions. The ability to play a minion before a base scores necessarily makes it an extra minion. Whether or not you played a normal minion that turn does not matter. ---- Q: Can Infiltrate destroy an action played on a minion, or just an action played on a base? A: The consensus seems to be that Infiltrate can only destroy actions played on bases, not actions played on minions.https://boardgamegeek.com/article/17156491#17156491 ---- Q: How does Infiltrate's "Ongoing" ability work? A: There is no consensus. Here are some possible interpretations: #"You may destroy this action. Ongoing: All players ignore this base's ability. Destroy this action at the start of your turn." This might be what the designers intended.https://boardgamegeek.com/article/17173839#17173839 #"Right now, decide whether or not all players ignore this base's ability. Ongoing: If so, all players ignore this base's ability until the start of your next turn, at which point this action loses its ability at long as it's in play." #"Ongoing: When this base's ability would matter, you may choose that all players ignore this base's ability until the start of your next turn." #"Ongoing: When this base's ability would matter to your cards (in and out of play), you may choose to ignore the this base's ability until the start of your next turn." #"Ongoing: Whenever this base's ability would matter, you may decide that it does not. At the start of your next turn, this card loses its ability as long as it's in play." The first interpretation is certainly not what the card literally says, but it is the only interpretation that uses wording consistent with the rest of the cards in the game while still remaining somewhat true to the perceived original intention of this card. ---- Q: Does Shielding or Steam Queen protect Smoke Bomb or Infiltrate from their own destruction? A: No. Steam Queen and Shielding protect against other players' abilities or actions, not your own. Neither can prevent a self destructing action. (See also the question above about whether or not Infiltrate self destructs at all.) =References=